One-Day Cup: Bears & Foxes book knockout spots on rain-affected day
- Published
Ed Barnard has scored 329 runs and taken nine wickets in this season's One-Day Cup
Warwickshire made it six wins out of six as they and Leicestershire both secured a place in the knockout stages on a rain-hit day of action in the One-Day Cup.
The Bears saw off Northants by 24 runs in a 10-over thrash at rain-lashed Edgbaston to all but secure they will finish top of Group B.
Leicestershire then defied the weather to beat Middlesex and make it six wins in seven matches to stay clear at the top of Group A.
Both are guaranteed at least a quarter-final place and, if they each win on Sunday, when the Bears host Durham and the Foxes host Yorkshire, they will skip the quarter-finals and earn a home semi-final on Tuesday week.
Ten overs a side in Birmingham
After a day of bad weather in Birmingham, Edgbaston groundsman Gary Barwell and his team did well to get a game on - even for 10 overs a side.
In-form all-rounder Ed Barnard again impressed at the top of the order, whacking 32 off 14 balls before captain Will Rhodes (23 off 15) and wicketkeeper Michael Burgess (26 off 19) propelled Bears to a testing 104-3.
Northants' reply never got going as they lost wickets regularly on the way as they mustered only 80, with Tom Taylor making 29 and the competition's leading wicket-taker Oliver Hannon-Dalby (2-10) taking his tally to 20.
"Gary and his team did a fantastic job to get us a game on," said Warwickshire coach Mark Robinson.
"We really wanted to play because we knew if we won we were through.
"It was a clinical bowling performance from the guys. Execution-wise, it was outstanding, as good as it gets, To be fair, Northamptonshire bowled well too, but we had a strong start to our innings and then a couple of batters at the end, who scored valuable runs and were a bit frustrated they didn't get more."
Gloucestershire still giving chase
Gloucestershire and Worcestershire are two points behind the 100-per-cent Bears but both have only one game left.
Jack Taylor's sensational century set up the 166-run Gloucestershire win over Sussex in a game reduced to 38 overs a side.
Taylor clubbed 106 off 54 balls - the county's fastest List A ton - aided by Ollie Price's 95 as they piled up an intimidating 311 all out.
James Bracey, fresh from last Sunday's record double century against Somerset, put on 78 for the second wicket with Ollie Price before cutting loosely to Cheteshwar Pujara off spinner Jack Carson for a 36-ball 41.
At 127-4, Sussex were in reasonable control only for Price and Taylor to wreak havoc.
Taylor cleared the ropes seven times and walloped another eight fours as his half-century came off just 26 balls, before reaching his ton just 26 deliveries later.
Price, who contributed 42 in their partnership of 128 for the fifth wicket, perished in the deep looking to reach three figures first.
Henry Crocombe returned career-best figures of 4-64 for Sussex, who made a solid start, reaching 39 without loss, before captain Tom Haines slapped Tom Price to cover and was followed by Paul van Meekeren's brilliant piece of fielding to throw down the stumps and run-out Tom Alsop attempting a sharp single.
That wobble continued as three more wickets fell for 43 to leave them 88-5.
With India star Pujara still in, Sussex had hope at 126-5 but, after he was out lbw sweeping spinner Tom Smith (3-16), the hosts' last four wickets fell for 19, as they buckled to 145 all out just a ball into the 26th over.
Kashif cashes in as Pears stay in contention
Worcestershire are still very much in the hunt for the latter stages too after Kashif Ali's hitting illuminated the dank conditions at Derby.
In game shortened to 30 overs a side, Kashif hit 88 off 36 balls in the Pears' 62-run win over Derbyshire.
Derbyshire gave a debut to 16-year-old Henry Moore, making him the club's youngest-ever player, but were left to rue a specular collapse with the bat as they subsided to 192 all out chasing 253, with Luis Reece's brilliant 96 off 64 balls in vain.
Kashif Ali scored a century on his List A debut for Worcestershire against Kent in August 2022
The visitors lost openers Gareth Roderick and Ed Pollock with only 11 runs on the board. But, just as in their win over Northamptonshire, when they put on a record 194 together, Rob Jones and Jake Libby upped the momentum.
Kashif then produced a List A cameo to remember, his 50 coming off 24 balls in an innings that brought eight fours and seven brutal sixes.
Libby's third half-century in four innings and some late improvisation from Ben Cox set up a target of 254-5.
Derbyshire looked well set for only their second win in the competition when Reece's mix of power and touch had them 145-2 after 18 overs. But Wayne Madsen miscued Matthew Waite to Pat Brown at deep cover to start an alarming slide that saw six wickets lost for 28 runs.
Handscomb sees Foxes home
In the only game in Group A, Leicestershire clinched their place in the knock-out stages with a 23-run win over Middlesex in the last of the day's four rain-affected contests.
In a day-night match reduced to 47 overs per side after the start was delayed, further rain caused the contest to be abandoned after 40 overs.
But Leicestershire, on 173-5, chasing 192 for victory, were 23 runs ahead on Duckworth Lewis Stern calculation.
Australian international Peter Handscomb led them home with an unbeaten 54 after opener Rishi Patel's 44, sharing an unbroken 51-run partnership with Sam Evans.
Sunday's Fixtures (11:00 BST)
Group A:
Canterbury: Kent v Essex
Leicester: Leicestershire v Yorkshire
Lord's: Middlesex v Lancashire
Guildford: Surrey v Hampshire
Group B:
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Derbyshire
Taunton: Somerset v Glamorgan
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Durham
New Road: Worcestershire v Sussex
Tuesday's Fixtures (11:00 BST)
Group A:
Chelmsford: Essex v Surrey
Newport (IOW): Hampshire v Kent
Radlett: Middlesex v Yorkshire
Nettleworth: Nottinghamshire v Lancashire
Group B:
Derby: Derbyshire v Somerset
Cardiff: Glamorgan v Northamptonshire
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Warwickshire
Friday 25 August - Quarter-Finals
Tuesday 29 August - Semi Finals
Saturday 16 September - Final (Trent Bridge)